A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

While sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has long been hailed for its environmental benefits, the recent conflict in the Middle East and its deleterious effects on the world’s petroleum supplies have highlighted the need to decouple fuel pricing and availability from geopolitical instability.
A new report from UK-based market research firm IDTechEx noted: “Rising oil prices prove that the disadvantages of fossil fuels extend beyond their negative environmental impact. Therefore, sustainable aviation fuel should also be viewed through the lens of empowering energy security.”
The HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids) pathway—which uses used cooking oils, fats, and greases as the feedstock instead of fossil fuels—is still the primary production process for SAF. And while the price gap between conventional jet fuel and HEFA SAF has shrunk slightly following the impact of the Iran war, HEFA fuel is still more expensive, the report noted. As well, HEFA SAF production will be constrained by the availability of feedstocks as demand grows.
Other SAF processes are still gaining market traction, including alcohol-to-jet or Fischer–Tropsch synthesis that use bio-based feedstocks such as bioethanol or municipal solid waste that can be sourced locally.&nbsp;When it comes to feedstock flexibility, eSAF produced using CO2 from the air combined with green hydrogen (generated from water using renewable energy) is the ultimate winner, according to the report.
Although production of jet fuel via these pathways is currently more costly than HEFA SAF, the greater availability of feedstocks for these fuels means they can be produced in large quantities as the SAF space matures. According to the report, the demand for SAF will expand beyond what can be produced by HEFA alone by the next decade, meaning “the sustainable fuel landscape will need to become much more diverse by 2036.”

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

Report: Sustainable Aviation Fuel Has Benefits Beyond Just Environmental

Geopolitical upheaval to the global oil market highlights SAF need

Recent threats to world petroleum markets highlight the need for increased sustainable aviation fuel production.

Report: SAF Has Benefits Beyond Just Environmental

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Fuel cell systems need at least 2 kW/kg to be competitive

H2Fly Chases Hydrogen Propulsion Power Density Boost

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Grant represents one of the largest in Europe to date

Germany Commits €350 Million to eSAF Project

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Unither Bioélectronique expands envelope of experimental aircraft 

Modified R44 Flies Hydrogen-electric Helicopter Circuit

Environmental research program had already used three quarters of previously agreed funding

UK’s FAAM Research Aircraft Formally Ceases Operations 

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Industry calls for changes to Refuel EU rules

SAF Mandate Complicates European Bizav’s Green Intentions

Technology to fly onboard clean-sheet, all-electric, ducted-fan gyrocopter 

DLR Tests Experimental Vibrational Anti-Icing System  

Measure could spur further growth in the SAF industry

NBAA Applauds House Passage of Pro-SAF Legislation

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

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